Bengaluru in crisis, farmers in distress

Despite farmer protests and warnings from experts, Bengaluru continues to expand relentlessly

With temperatures soaring to unprecedented levels and the water crisis in the IT capital attracting international attention, Bengaluru is in the news for all the wrong reasons. Add to this the Bangalore Development Authority’s short-sighted policies of expansion by acquiring farm land around the city, and the result is bound to be disastrous.

Recently, the BDA announced its intention to acquire 2,000 acres of agricultural land with a view to expanding the Dr Shivarama Karanth Layout. This has shocked landowners who have been cultivating their lands for years. Nanda Kumar, an ex-serviceman, mentions that he has planted various fruit plants, including apple, pomegranate, lemon, sapota, and orange on his two-acre land in Kempapura, having invested Rs 40 lakhs in its development. He expresses concern that their confidence will be shaken if the BDA acquires their land. Dr Venkatesh, whose family cultivates coconut and other crops in Kumbarahally, asserts that the government appears indifferent to the plight of those dependent on agriculture. It is reported that the BDA has identified approximately a dozen such villages for land acquisition.

In Devanahalli taluk, farmers from 113 villages have been protesting against the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) acquiring their land for industrial development. The proposed acquisition of 1,777 acres will affect about 700 farmer families, of which 455 families belong to SCs and STs. The agitation has been ongoing for the past two years, with at least 30–40 farmers sitting in dharna daily, the number going up to 500–1,000 on certain days. According to a survey conducted by the farmers themselves, these villages produce about 1,000 tonnes of ragi and other foodgrains, 2,000 tonnes of grapes, 150 tonnes of mangoes, and other crops, apart from nearly 8,000 litres of milk. The government has thus far turned a deaf ear to the cries of the farmers.

Three issues arise here. The first pertains to the livelihood of farmers who reside in the vicinity of large cities and the loss of farmlands. The second relates to protecting the fast-deteriorating urban environment and the risks of climate change, and the third to the urbanisation policies of the state government and urban development authorities. Large-scale acquisition of farm land in the urban periphery has a serious impact on the livelihood of farmers; they not only lose their lands but are also driven to the city to find alternative employment, which is not easy. Conversion of agricultural land for urban uses is leading to food insecurity and an increase in the import of food items of daily use such as vegetables and fruits.

The impact of climate change on Bengaluru was all too evident from the blazing heat and the continuously dry weather during March and April this year, with the total absence of rains. In all, 125 of the 800 lakes in Bengaluru urban district are said to have dried up owing to the severity of the summer. The IPCC had flagged extreme heat in South Asia, urban flooding, and urban water scarcity as critical issues and had observed that Bengaluru floods in 2022 were a result of mindless urbanisation and the climate crisis. According to a study on ‘Heat Wave Impact’ by Cambridge University in 2023, more than 90% of India is at risk of suffering losses in livelihood capacity, foodgrain yields, vector-borne diseases, and urban sustainability, even as heat waves become recurrent and long-lasting. The intense damage caused to Bengaluru’s environment on account of the loss of lakes, the cutting of trees, and reckless construction resulting in a continuous increase in built-up area and a decline in green cover is known but must be reemphasised.

In the face of such serious threats to Bengaluru’s sustainability, it is strange that BDA and KIADB should continue with their plans to acquire agricultural land and build new layouts.

Interestingly, the urbanisation policy of Karnataka refers to the size and economic role of Bengaluru having become disproportionately high, creating a “self-fulfilling cycle by which even more new investment and migrants are attracted to the Bengaluru metropolitan region,” and any plan for the future must therefore “redress this imbalance.” It also calls for a new approach to urban planning where efforts “should selectively channelise social and economic activities to Tier-II cities, and concentrate new investments in clusters that can have a high multiplier effect.” What is required now is to translate the policy statements into practice, with the clear objective of containing the growth of Bengaluru, developing other cities in the state industrially, and strengthening their infrastructure. Instead, the urban and industrial development authorities are expanding their foothold in the Bengaluru urban agglomeration, adding to the city’s woes.

I would like to put forward the following suggestions:

Put a complete stop to the acquisition of agricultural land and developing new layouts, residential or industrial, in the Bengaluru metropolitan region. With high land prices in and around Bengaluru, the cost of acquisition has risen enormously; the allocation of individual sites will therefore result in uneconomical use of urban land. BDA’s priority must be to focus on metropolitan planning and regulating urban growth to sustainable levels. KIADB is well advised to shift its headquarters to a northern city such as Hubballi-Dharwad or Kalaburagi and encourage industries in backward regions of the state, thus reducing imbalanced development.

To improve the urban environment and address climate change issues, identify all barren and uncultivable land in the metropolitan region and build tree parks or city forests. Promote solar energy and incentivise energy-efficient buildings. Incentivise the use of public transport and disincentivise the use of private motor vehicles. These measures are likely to reduce the heat island effect, control rises in temperatures, and reduce air pollution.

To tackle the water crisis, ban or restrict the digging of borewells and encourage rainwater harvesting and groundwater recharge. Penalise wastage of clean treated water, increase waste water treatment facilities, and lay separate pipelines for the supply of water for non-potable uses.

The UN-HABITAT has warned that the ‘business as usual’ approach to development is no longer an option, and the way Asian countries handle urban development and management must change if further environmental deterioration is to be avoided and embark upon more ‘sustainable pathways’.

And time is running out.

(The writer is a former chief secretary, Government of Karnataka)